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Jean Marc Gaspard Itard's work with Victor
Jean Marc Gapsard Itard worked with a young boy, named Victor, who was believed to live in the woods for most, if not all, of his 11 or 12 years of life. Itard began different forms of intervention to teach Victor to speak, recognize words and letters, and begin to care for himself. This is the first known documentation of educating a child with a disability. -
Edouard Seguin
Edouard Seguin established the first school to educate students with intellectual disabilities. He also established the Psysiological Method, which emphasized the importance of sensory stimulation via auditory and visual input. https://histmed.collegeofphysicians.org/for-students/the-roots-of-special-education/ -
The first public school for children with disabilities in America
Samuel Gridley Howe established the first PUBLIC school in America for education children with disabilities. He worked with Laura Bridgman, who was Deaf and Blind, and was able to develop a method of teaching her based on her ability to feel differences in shapes. Through her ability to distinguish shapes, he was able to communicate through fingerspelling in her hand. Anne Sullivan used this method with Helen Keller.
https://youtu.be/b5FCn9BaqIQ?si=BIY7P4WjxT0CFtVX -
The First Public Classes for Children with Disabilities
In 1896, the first public classes for children with disabilities were opened in Boston, Providence, and Rhode Island. This made such an impact that in 1899, Chicago opened their first class for individuals with disabilities. Due to the impact of these public classes that opened in 1896, the National Education Association established a Department of Special Education. -
Measure of Intelligence
Based on work performed by Binet-Simon in 1905, Henry Goddard translated revisions of their work that would become widely adopted in the United States. Through Goddard's revisions of Binet and Simon's work, he was able to create intelligence tests that linked to the diagnosis of intellectual disabilities using age-related norms and calculated mental age. This rapidly changed the process of labeling individuals with disabilities. -
The First University Training for Special Education
Due to the ripple effect of the National Association of Parents and Friends of Mentally Retarded Children (now the ARC of the United States) in 1850, the public was aware of the gaps in education for individuals with disabilities. Due to the widespread advocacy for children and adults with disabilities by this group, the first university training program was created in 1958. Public Law 85-926, signed by Dwight D, Eisenhower, provided support for university training in special education. -
Kennedy's Panel: Maternal and Child Heath and Mental Retardation Planning Amendment to the Social Security Act
In 1963, John F. Kennedy signed legislation that called for 55,000 teachers to be trained to work with individuals with disabilities. He also called for extension and improvement of a federal program that would support states and local districts to fund special education services to help supplement the cost of educating an individual with disabilities through Social Security. https://www.jfklibrary.org/learn/about-jfk/jfk-in-history/john-f-kennedy-and-people-with-intellectual-disabilities -
Mills v. Board of Education District of Columbia
Alongside Pennsylvania Association of Retarded Citizens v. Commonwealth (1971), Mills v. Board of Education District of Columbia established rights for children with intellectual disabilities to receive public education under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. https://youtu.be/JfGmK1R0jR0?si=yJfBoYMMiPOK3iGn -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
In 1975, Public Law 94-142, better known as Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), was passed and signed into law by President Gerald Ford. EHA required that all children with disabilities were to have access to a free and appropriate education (FAPE), and they could not be denied these services. This was a landmark case for the world of Special Education. https://eunasolutions.com/resources/understanding-pl-94-142-5-ways-this-historical-law-has-transformed-education/ -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
One of the most impactful pieces of legislation for children with disabilities was put into place in 2004. Amending the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, IDEA required that individuals with disabilities be educated in their Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), the implementation of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), and continuing FAPE. This allowed for more inclusion within schools and a better sense of understanding how capable children with disabilities are.